Opting for long lived perennial plants for the tropics...

We prefer to integrate the following perennial plants into landscapes because they generally need only planting once and provide a seasonal crop, are deep rooted and a longer term investment that builds carbon. These plants fit nicely into a food forest system rather than the classic vegetable patch - although we love to see annuals appear each season and delight in

The lists below group together perennial plants in order of their ease to grow well in tropical climates. Jo Martin from Cairns put together a detailed book listing them with consideration to importance...if you can grow list one, then you will have enough diverse food for a healthy diet. Start there and work your way through the next lists in order.

Eating in season is the best thing you can do for your health and soils. If some of these are new to you, I suggest that you do a quick search to investigate how these wonderful foods are nutrient-rich and find the culinary ways to prepare for their flavor sensations. Check out this website tropicalcuisine.com to sight Clare Richards award winning cookbook ‘Tropical Cuisine’, made with many recipes that make specific use of the produce below.

Sourcing organic seeds or seedling and saving seed for heirloom varieties is fundamentally the goal for a superior taste and resilience, not to mention artistic diversity!

Depending on your available gardening space, skill and labour/maintenance, you could introduce species from the following lists to expand your culinary and medicinal needs. Visit www.growfoodplantsincairns.com to purchase the complete book.

IncrEDIBLE Edible Tropical Superfoods Guide = eBook

From your garden to your plate, this guide introduces the “IncrEDIBLE edibles’, tropical (super)foods” that grow abundantly, year long throughout the tropics.

Boasting nutritious and delicious recipes to bring the crEATive culinary culture of growing these tropical plants into your kitchen, it is a must for anyone interested in home grown and local, seasonal foods for health.
Illustrated with full color photography and images, this informative publication provides insight into 32 useful perennial plants with home grown recipes to taste, showcasing what they look like and descriptions for identifying, growing and eating them.

Discover the permaculture perspective of plants as super-foods, and the framework for regenerative design, with tropical landscape strategies and techniques to crEATe abundance at your doorstep.